Corn crib



June 5, 1956 g. ARNDT 2,748,904

CORN CRIB Filed Sept. 25, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Rgmaziidzwdl [S ATTORNEY June 5, 1956 I R; ARNDT 2,748,904

CORN CRIB Filed Sept. 25, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 \gl'mu/a 7 43 8 z T- Jill! 7A j j! T jg INVENTOR 25 l I figmmdlzwdf HIS ATTORNEY R. ARNDT June 5, 1956 CORN CRIB 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 nun W J 1 nul A 7/ H 1 W M .1|||| unnuw q w a IS ATTORNEY June 5, 1956 v R, DT 2,748,904

CORN CRIB Filed Sept. 25, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent CORN CRIB Raymond Arndt, Columbus, Nehr.

Application September 25, 1951, Serial No. 248,236

15 Claims. (Cl. 189-3) This invention relates to prefabricated structures and more particularly to cribs for corn and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a corn crib of demountable construction having improved means for connecting the several elements thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a corn crib having a demountable side wall and roof, wherein the side wall is formed of a plurality of panels so connectable with each other and with a roof as to provide a self-sustaining structure.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a corn crib having a side wall of panelled construction, in which wire mesh forming the main portion of the side wall is effectively locked in supporting frames without fixed attachment thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide mesh wall panels having novel means for interlocking the mesh and their supporting frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mesh wall of panelled construction, in which adjoining panels cooperate to lock the mesh in its supports.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a corn crib embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of a typical gate of the crib of Figure l Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the lines 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, showing a joint between wall panels;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the lines 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the lines 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken along the lines 77 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, showing a joint between wall and gate panels;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the lines 9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the wall panels of Figure l with parts of the mesh removed to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction; and

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the lines 1111 of Figure 8, with the gate moved out of closed position to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved corn crib of the present invention, while it may take various forms, has been shown as circular. If the crib is .to -be a permanent structure, as in the illustrated Patented June 5, 1956 embodiment, it is preferably mounted on a permanent base such as the illustrated concrete base, platform or floor 1. The structure may be anchored to this base by anchor bolts 2 embedded in the concrete, to which the crib is attached by suitable means such as the illustrated angle plates 3.

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Apart from its base, the crib is comprised of a circular side wall 4 on which is supported a conical roof 5. The

side wall, in turn, is formed of a plurality of wall panelsv 6, each comprised of one or more mesh or foraminous sheets 7 mounted in, carried by, supported on or connected or attached to a supporting frame 8.

Forming the frame 8 are a pair of spaced angle .irons 9, each serving as one lateral side of the panel and preferably extending the full height of the side wall 4. As shown in Figure 6, both angle irons are disposed with their inner legs 10 substantially parallel to the mesh or body 7 of the panel and their outer legs 11 disposed normal to and extending across the ends of the mesh. After the individual panels have been assembled, the adjacent sides of adjoining panels are readily connectable through their confronting or contiguous, normally disposed legs 11 to form the side wall of the crib, the angle irons 9 then serving as the posts, columns or uprights by which the crib is supported.

The side members or angle irons 9 of each panel are connected at either end and, depending upon the height of the panel, at intermediate points, by transversely extending bands or straps 12 which overlie and are bolted or otherwise connected to the inner or parallelly disposed legs 10. These bands are offset adjacent their connected ends so as also to overlie or lie outwardly of the longitudinal or vertical rods 13 of the mesh, this interlacing of bands and mesh, by strengthening the mesh, enhancing or increasing its resistance to bulging under pressure of the contents of the crib.

As previously mentioned, the mesh sheathing of the crib is in the form of mesh sheets connected to the angle irons. The initial width of the sheet is such that its transverse or horizontal bars, rods or strands 14 project substantially beyond the normal legs of the side members. To accommodate this length, each of these legs is slotted in correspondence with the longitudinal spacing of the transverse bars to provide a series of spaced slots, apertures or openings 15 in which the projecting ends of the transverse bars are received. After the ends of the bars have been inserted through the openings, they are crimped or bent transversely along the outer legs 11 normal to the inner legs 10 of the side members to hold the mesh in place, the side members, after the mesh is in place, then being joined by the aforementioned straps 12. If these straps are connected by bolting, as in the illustrated embodiment, it will usually be necessary to cut corresponding gaps in the end bars of the longitudinal bars or rods 13 of the mesh to provide space therefor.

Were the slots 15 each of substantially the same diameter as the transverse rods 14 which they receive, it would be necessary to stagger the slots of each side member relative to those of the confronting side member of an adjoinng panel to accommodate the crimped ends of the rods of both panels therebetween. Not only would this result in corresponding staggering of the lateral rods of adjoining panels, unless the gap between the side members was sufficient to accommodate both crimped ends in vertical alignment, but it would also introduce difficulties in manufacture. Accordingly, an important feature of the present invention is the configuration of the rod-receiving slots 15 relative to the rods. As shown in Figure 7, the slots of adjoining side members are aligned, but each in longitudinal dimension is substantially twice the diameter or thickness of the associated rod. Consequently, the end portion of each rod is enabled to be flexed, deformed or bent longitudinally of the panel so thatthe rod can occupy one or the other extremity of 'the elongated slot. If then the end portions of the mating or, corresponding rods. of all-adjOinlng seeion are, fiexed towards the opposite. ends of their slots, the crimped endsof bothtwill be, accommodated side by side longitudinally of the panels in the space therebetween,,thereby bothminimizing this space and enablingthecrimped ends to be clamped between the adjoining side members by bolting, of the latter. It is not intended to, bend the end portions of therods prior to connection of adjoining panels. Instead, the mesh initially will be able to slide longitudinally of its side rails'by virtue of the elongation of the slots. This, whenthe first two panels of the crib are connected, will'displace: the mesh of one up and the other'down vertically of the crib. However, by so lapping the crimped, ends of thetransverse rods of each of these first panels with those of a succeeding panel that the opposite end portions of the rods of each panel are caused to flex or deflect in opposite directions, the inherent resiliency of the transverse rods will bring the intermediate portions. of the corresponding rods of all panels into horizontal alignment. At the same time, the stress so applied between abutting lapping crimped ends will effectively interlock the mesh of all panels against relative longitudinal movement.

It will be. seen from Figure 4 that the side members or rails 9 have their lower ends spaced above the base 1, the opening therebelow being closed by the lowermost of the connecting bands 12. This spacing is to make use of the 2 aforementioned angle plates 3, which are anchored to the anchor bolts 2, as footings, the plates having their outer ends bolted to the lower ends of adjoining pairs of the side rails between the normally disposed legs 11.0f the latter.

The conical, roof 5 with which the crib is covered is supported on the side wall 4 through the angle irons 9 forming the supporting posts. For securing the roof in place, there may be attached to the inner leg 10 of one of the. adjacent angle irons of each cohnected pair a center clip or bracket 16, the outer end of which is bolted to the roof sheet 17 intermediate the ribs 18 of the latter. For further rigidity of connection, the ribs may be secured to the side wall 4 outwardly of the clips 16 by a hook bolt 19 having its hook clinched about one of the transverse bars 14 of the mesh sheathing.

While the roof 5 is provided with the usual removable cap 20through which the crib is filled and may also be provided with one or more manholes 21, it is desirable to have access to the interior of the crib through the side wall, at different levels, to facilitate emptying of cribs usedfor storing ear corn and like produce which will not readily flow through a single bottom outlet. The wall panels 6, while individually removable, are not adapted.

for this purpose, since they preferably extend, the full height of the side wall 4. Accordingly, it is proposed to adapt the crib, for use as a corn drying crib by providing, between a pair of adjoining wall panels, an access opening 22 extending thefull height of thelside wall and closable by a plurality of, superposed gates or gate panels 23, eachcovering a particular portion or level of the crib. These gate panels are, each wall panels in miniature, differing; therefrom only in outside dimensions, and formed of. like side rails 24, connecting bands 25 and mesh 26. The gate panels are bolted to the adjoining wall panels through'the normally disposed flanges 11 of the side rails 9ofthe latter, with the crimped ends of the transverse bars or strands 27 of the mesh 26 of each gate panel lapping the contiguous crimped ends of the transverse rods 14 ofthe adjoining wall panel to provide the same resilient interlock therebetween. To afford the necessary lateral strength in the clamped structure after one or more of the gate panels have been removed, the wall panels adjoining the. access opening 22 are connected. thereacross by tie 4. bars or braces 28 which are spaced longitudinally or vertically of the opening to accommodate the gate panel's therebetween.

It has been mentioned that each gate panel is a wall panel in miniature. In practice, it will be found advantageous for the gate panels to be slightly less than half as wide as the wall panels. By maintaining this size relationship, it is feasible to cut the eight gate panels required for two cribs, such as that illustrated, from a single sheet of wall panel mesh, thereby enabling the mesh sheets to be procuredin a standard size and reducing waste to a minimum.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved corn crib of mesh panel construction in which the mesh is eltectively interlocked with the supporting members without fixed attachment and the panels, when connected together, form a self-sustainingside wall, the mesh interlock, while illustrated as applied to a corn drying crib, being of wide application in mesh panel construction. It should: be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A corn crib comprising a plurality of support members arranged in pairs, means for anchoring said support members to a base, a mesh sheet supported oneach of said pairs, each of said sheets having a portion projecting through the support members of the associated pair, means connecting said support members of each pair to support members of adjoining pairs and clamping said projecting portions in bearing engagement therebetween, and roof means connected to said support members and mesh and supported on said support members.

2. A seetionalized wall comprising a plurality of panels each formed of a pair of spaced frame members, a mesh sheet supported on each of said pairs and having a portion projecting transversely therethrough, and means connect ing adjoining panels through said frame members, said projecting portions lapping and locking said mesh sheets against movement relative to said frame members.

3. A seetionalized wall comprising a plurality of panels each formed of a pair of spaced frame members, a mesh sheet supported on each of said pairs and having a portion projecting transversely therethrough, and means connecting adjoining panels through said frame members, said projecting portions yieldably lapping and locking said ruesh sheets against movement relative to said frame members.

4. A seetionalized wall comprising aplurality of panels cachformed of a pair of spaced frame members and'a mesh sheet supported by said frame members, said mesh .y'reet having means projecting through longitudinally elongated slots in said framemembers and having crimped ends therebeyond, said panels interfitting with adjacent of said crimped ends overlapping. and means for connecting said interfitting panels and displacing said mesh longitudinally of said side members by flexing said projecting means adjacent said crimped ends.

5. A seetionalized wall comprising a plurality of connected panels each formed of a pair of spaced frame members and a bar mesh sheet supported by said frame members, certain bars of said sheet projecting through openings in said frame members and having ends bent transversely of said, members beyond said openings, ccrtain of said bars of each of said panels yieldably lapping an adjacent bar of a corresponding panel and locking said mesh sheets against longitudinal movement relative to said frame members.

6. A seetionalized wall comprising a plurality of detachably connected panels each formed of a pair of spaced,

frame members each having a plurality of spaced longitudinally elongated slots and bar mesh carried by said frame members and having certain bars projecting through said slots, said certain bars having ends beyond said slots bent transversely of said frame members, and each of said bent ends of each panel yieldably lapping and urging a bent end of an adjoining panel towards an opposite end of its associated slot for locking said mesh against longitudinal movement relative to said frame members.

7. A sectionalized wall comprising a plurality of panels each formed of a pair of spaced frame members each having a plurality of spaced longitudinally elongated slots and bar mesh carried by said frame members and having certain bars projecting through said slots, said certain bars having ends beyond said slots bent transversely of said frame members and each of said bent ends of each panel yieldably lapping a bent end of an adjoining panel and locking said mesh against longitudinal movement relative to said frame members.

8. A sectionalized wall comprising a plurality of panels each formed of a pair of spaced frame members each having a plurality of spaced longitudinally elongated slots and bar mesh carried by said frame members and having certain bars projecting through said slots, said certain bars having ends beyond said slots bent transversely of said frame members, and means for connecting adjacent frame members of adjoining panels and clamping corresponding bent ends of said certain bars thereof therebetween in lapped relation, said bent ends on connection of said panels each yieldably engaging a bent end of an adjoining panel and locking said mesh against longitudinal movement relative to said frame members.

9. In a mesh wall, a pair of confronting connected frame members having aligned elongated slots, and a mesh element projecting through each of said slots, said elements lappingly engaging intermediate said slots and each displacing the other element towards an opposite end of its associated slot.

10. In a mesh wall, a pair of confronting connected frame members having aligned elongated slots, and a mesh element projecting through each of said slots and bent transversely therebetween, said bent portions of said elements lappingly engaging intermediate said slots and each element displacing the other element towards an opposite end of its associated slot.

11. A wall structure comprising a plurality of panels each having a pair of spaced frame members and a foraminous sheet, means on said sheet extending between and projecting through openings in said frame members, and means on adjoining panels cooperating with said firstnamed means and deflecting said means on opposite end portions of said sheet in opposite directions longitudinally of said frame members.

12. In a mesh wall, a pair of confronting frame members having counterpart elongated slots, a mesh element projecting through each of said slots and each having a bent portion, said bent portions of said elements lappingly engaging intermediate said slots, and means connecting said frame members and aligning said slots, said connecting means causing each of said elements to displace said other element towards an opposite end of its associated slot.

13. A sectionalized wall comprising a plurality of panels each having a pair of spaced angle irons, a mesh sheet extending between said angle irons and having elements projecting through slots in corresponding legs thereof and a plurality of spaced bands extending transversely of said angle irons and connected to legs thereof other than said corresponding legs, said bands intermediate said connections being ofiset and overlying said mesh, and means attaching said corresponding legs to confronting legs of angle irons of adjoining panels and clamping projecting portions of said elements therebetween and thereby locking said sheets to said panel.

14. In a corn crib, a side wall comprising a plurality of Wall panels extending the height of said wall, said wall having an access opening intermediate certain of said wall panels, a plurality of superposed gate panels normally closing said opening, means extending across said opening intermediate said gate panels and connecting said certain wall panels, said panels each having a pair of spaced angle irons and a mesh sheet extending between said angle irons and having elements projecting through slots in legs thereof, and means attaching said corresponding legs to confronting legs of angle irons of adjoining panels and clamping projecting portions of said elements therebetween and thereby locking said sheets to said panel.

15. In a corn crib, a side wall comprising a plurality of wall panels extending the height of said wall, said wall having an access opening intermediate certain of said wall panels, a plurality of superposed gate panels normally closing said opening, means extending across said opening intermediate said gate panels and connecting said certain wall panels, said panels each having a pair of spaced angle irons, a mesh sheet extending between said angle irons and having elements projecting through slots in corresponding legs thereof and a plurality of spaced bands extending transversely of said angle irons and connected to legs thereof other than said corresponding legs, said bands intermediate said connections being offset and overlying said mesh, and means attaching said correponding legs to confronting legs of angle irons of adjoining panels and clamping projecting portions of said elements therebetween and thereby locking said sheets to said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,158 Tuttle Feb. 6, 1906 1,293,335 Chambliss Feb. 4, 1919 1,540,788 McClure June 9, 1925 2,045,082 Hegnes June 23, 1936 2,571,753 Pennington Oct. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,721 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1880 15,125 Australia Nov. 9, 1933 

